Ingli Poli /Ginger Chutney–Kerala style

I came across this chutney again in the book 'Flavors of India', by Madhur Jaffrey. This chutney is served at weddings and traditional banquets in Kerala. Ginger is grown in Kerala and is even exported in vast quantities. Therefore, it is not surprising to see keralites use this in their cooking. This is a chutney which can be stored in the refrigerator for many months and can be served anytime with a whole lot of things. This is another of my contributions to RCI-Cuisine of Kerala hosted by Jyothsna of Curry Bazaar.

The chutney has a many flavors combined together, from sweet, spicy and tangy. I served this with pumpkin rotis and dal, but think it will go very well with rice/curd rice.

Ingredients

For the Spice paste:
Coriander Seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera) – ¼ tsp
Turmeric Powder (Haldi powder) – ¼ tsp

Other Ingredients needed:
Coconut oil, or any other cooking oil – 3 tsp
Fresh grated coconut – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Methi seeds – ¼ tsp
Dried red chillies – 4
Curry leaves – 10-15 ( optional )
Red onion, finely chopped – 1 small
Green chillies, finely chopped – 1-2
Fresh ginger, peeled and very finely sliced and then cut into fine julienne strips – 2 inch piece
Tamarind paste – ½ cup, diluted in ½ cup water
Salt – to taste
Brown sugar – 2 tsp

Method

- Grind the 3 ingredients mentioned in the spice paste, to a fine powder. Take the powder in a small bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of water to make a paste. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the coconut, and now reducing the heat to low, stir and fry until golden. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. When the seeds start spluttering, add the methi seeds, red chillies and curry leaves (if using). Stir for 1-2 mins.
- Add the onions, green chillies and ginger. Fry until the onions are soft and beginning to turn brown.
- Now, add the spice paste and fry till the mixture becomes dry.
- Add the tamarind paste, salt and brown sugar.
- Stir and cook till the mixture is thick ( abt 10-12 mins ). Remove from heat, add the coconut and mix.
- Cool and use, or store in a clean, air-tight container.

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